The New Complete Book of Food
Production of uric acid. Purines are the natural metabolic by-products of protein metabo-
lism in the body. They eventually break down into uric acid, which can form sharp crystals
that may cause gout if they collect in your joints or kidney stones if they collect in urine.
Liver is a source of purines; eating liver raises the concentration of purines in your body.
Although controlling the amount of purine-producing foods in the diet may not signifi-
cantly affect the course of gout, limiting foods that raise the levels of purines is still part of
many gout regimens.Food/Drug Interactions
MAO inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors are drugs used as antidepressants
or antihypertensives. They inhibit the enzymes that break down tyramine so that it can
be eliminated from your body. Tyramine, which is formed when proteins deteriorate, is a
pressor amine, a chemical that constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. If you eat a
food rich in tyramine while you are taking an MAO inhibitor, the pressor amine cannot be
eliminated from your body, and the result may be a hypertensive crisis (sustained elevated
blood pressure). Liver, which is extremely perishable, contains enzymes that break down its
proteins quickly if the liver is not properly refrigerated or if it ages. Fresh or canned pâtés
made with wine may contain more tyramine than fresh liver.